Mar 14, 2010

The Diary of an Obsessed Muppet Fan - Muppet*Vision 3D

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, penguins of all ages... I have returned.

Yes, it's true. What? Oh, no, no. I don't need the fanfare or the parade... well, if you insist.

Well, now that we've gotten that over with... Welcome back to The Muppet Mindset! Yes, I'm just as surprised as you are to see that it's still here after being in the hands of The British Correspondent for a week. If he wasn't so funny (and so darn hard to find) I'd kill him. Thank goodness for our lovely, unpaid Lisa the Intern to keep him in check (or at least to douse his flames).

Anyway, enough about them, let's move on to me! I had an incredible time at Walt Disney World and I've got about two days worth of stories from my five day trip. Look for those to pop up 'round these parts Tuesday and Thursday this week.

But for now, it comes to my favorite part of the week: The Diary of an Obsessed Muppet Fan! Let's get started, shall we?

The Diary of an Obsessed Muppet Fan - (Real) Entry 4, March 14, 2010

Dear Diary, I'm back! I know you missed me. How did The British Correspondent treat you? ...He did what? ...How much did he spend? How dare he treat you so... so... so well? Just unbelievable. That's the last time I leave you alone with someone who treats you well. Now go make me dinner.

Wait, don't. Stay here, I need to write in you. Well, as you know, I went to Walt Disney World without you (thank goodness). Of course part of going to Walt Disney World is viewing Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As you probably don't know, Muppet*Vision 3D was one of the last projects Jim Henson worked on.

But Muppet*Vision is more than just a 3D show, it's an entire atmosphere. The inner-lobby area of the theater is housed with tons of Muppet props and random things. Including, but not limited to, the Electric Mayhem's road gear, The Great Gonzo's Weird Stuff, Sam the Eagle's Patriotic Paraphernalia, the Swinetrek, and small wooden soldiers who we'll later see in the the 3D show itself. It's a Muppet fan's dream come true and you could spend hours in the lobby just exploring all the hilarious sight gags and Muppet stuff.

Beyond all the props and bad puns, the lobby also houses one of the funniest Muppet productions ever filmed: the Muppet*Vision 3D pre-show. Yes, perhaps even funnier than the actual thing, the pre-show features Scooter, Gonzo, Bean Bunny, Fozzie, Sam Eagle, and Nicky Napoleon and his Emperor Penguin Orchestra. It's a great little pre-show where three Gonzo's tap-dance with flower pots on their heads, Bean tries to add to Miss Piggy's act, and Sam Eagle instructs on safety tips (with help from Gonzo), all while poor Scooter tries to control it all. It's hilarious and honestly one of the funniest Muppet productions ever producted (shut up, Diary).

Anyway, on with the show. Muppet*Vision 3D is perhaps Jim Henson's crowning achievement. It's technologically years before most other 3D shows. It's still beyond any other 3D show in Walt Disney World (and I've seen them all). And it's just darn funny and fun. Kermit tries to present the audience with a special presentation of new Muppet Vision 3D technology, but of course between Bunsen and Beaker, Statler and Waldorf, and the spirit of 3D, Waldo C. Graphic, that's not happening. I just love this show so much and it's near-perfect. Truly a great tribute to Jim's life and work.

There are a few odd things about the show, however. Such as Zoot being the only member of the Electric Mayhem to appear (besides Janice in a brief background cameo), no Jerry Nelson characters in the show, and Bean Bunny playing such a large role. But hey, this is the late 80's, the Muppets had tons of characters playing a big role who don't any more. Thankfully, this doesn't detract from the fantastic show and every performance is the best of the best.

My favorite part of the show is Sam Eagle, without a doubt. He cracks me up with every line he has (which aren't very many, actually). Whether it's the title of his grand finale, "A Tribute to All Nations, But Mostly America," or his description of said finale, "Yes, it is a glorious three hour finale!", Sam delivers laughs throughout the show.

As for the most Muppety part... It has to be the real finale, in which Sam's production goes completely out of control and Sweetums, the penguin orchestra, and the Swedish Chef have a canon war right in front of your eyes. It's hysterical, it's out of this world, and it's everything the Muppets represent. Just when someone starts to get too serious, another person is right there to blow them up.

Well, that about wraps it up for this review of Muppet*Vision 3D technology. Luckily this blog only suffered minor damage. We hope you all enjoyed the show... and we hope you'll come back and see us again some time! CURTAIN!